Extracellular Water and Dehydration in Sheep

Section A. Physiology. Part 1. The Physiology of the rumen. Part 2. Rumen microbiology

“…When salt supplements have improved animal performance it is often difficult or impossible to decide from the results reported whether the supplement acted by repairing a deficiency, by supplying buffer to an over-acid rumen, by increasing water intake and so the fluidity and outflow of the rumen contents, or in some other way. In a sobering experiment Hix, Evans & Underbjerg (1953) have shown that the additional weight gained by lambs when they are given a salt supplement can be due entirely to retention of water and salt as extracellular fluid. Research into the effects of salt supplements is likely to remain confused and unpredictable until a more complete understanding is gained of the part played by salts in the digestive physiology of ruminants.…”

Factors causing alterations of the level of inorganic phosphorus in the blood of zebu cattle

“…Thus, an alternative explanation of Fiennes's observations of plasma specific gravity might be a co-existent salt lack. Effects of salt depletion upon the extracellular water of sheep have been studied by Hix, Evans & Underbjerg (1953).…”

Mineral balance studies on lactating ewes with particular reference to the metabolism of magnesium

“…on diet G2. This was probably caused by the sudden increase in potassium intake (Hix, Evans & Underbjerg, 1953), and certainly resulted in a marked negative sodium balance for the first 5 days on diet G2. Care (1960) showed that sodium depletion in sheep affected the balance of magnesium and lowered serum magnesium levels.…”